Stamp canceling and postmabking machine



(No Model.) 5 sheets-sheet 1.-

G. W. HEY. STAMP CANGELING AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

Patented June 18, 1895.

WITNESSES: MM

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(No Model.) I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. W. HEY. STAMP GANGE LING AND POSTMARKING' MACHINE.

- Patented-June 18, 1895.

INVENTOR m ATTORNEY Modem 5 sheets-'- eeeee a.

G. W. HEY. STAMP OANGELING AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

No. 541,163. Patented June 18,1895.

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llllllfllmum l WITNESSES: INVENTOR (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

G. W. HEY. STAMP GANGELING AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

No. 541,163. Patented June 18,1895.

WI SSES. INVENT R M724! 4 #1 iflflvm ATTORNEY uoams PUERS co. FHOTGUTHO" wAsnmo'rau, n. c.

(NoModeL) r 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

G. w. HEY.

STAMP CANGBLING AND POSCI'MARKIIIG: MACHINE.

Patented'Ju'ne 18, 1895.

" mvsrnon" ATTO UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE \N. HEY, OF SYRACUSE, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL POSTAL SUPPLY COMPANY, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

STAMP-CANCEL ING AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,163, dated June 18, 1895.

Application filed March 5, 1888.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE NV. HEY, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Canceling and Postmarking Machines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accom-- panying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

.My invention relates to automatic stamp canceling and postmarking machines, and has for its object the provision of means for automatically counting the letters which are operated upon by the machine, and also to provide an effective device for packing the marking and pressure rollers, in combination with an unlocking device actuated from the shaft of the marking roller for rendering the separating device inoperative, and means extending into the letter path, and connected to the unlocking device, for starting the unlockingdevice and moving the parts of the same into such positions with respect to each other that the shaft of the marking roller, in its further revolution, will through them unlock the separating device, and cause the marking and pressure rollers to be held together for a sufiicient time to cause the passing letter to be marked by the die on the marking roller. Such a machine also comprises a stop device operated from the shaft of the marking roller, which prevents the starting and unlocking device from being operated until the die on the marking roller, in its revolution, reaches the proper position with respect to the printing point to enable the letter to be marked at the proper point, or, in other words, to secure the proper registry of the die on the marking roller.

My invention, moreover, comprises the com- Serial No. 266,119. (No model.)

bination of the marking roller, pressure roller,

and intermediate mechanism operated by the marking roller, with a counting register actuated when the marking die registers upon the passing letter, and, furthermore, such fea tures, details of construction and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In specifying my invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which, like letters and numerals indicating corresponding parts in all the view Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating the general construction andarrangement of the parts. Fig. 2 is a like view of a somewhat modified form of apparatus, partly in section, the rollers being removed for the purposes of illustration. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged detached details of the levers for controlling the registry of the type-die on the marking-roller and for actuating the counting-register. Fig.

5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a modification in the arrangement of the actuating-levers and their connections. Fig. 6 is a front elevation with the rollers removed, illustrating the construction in detail of the actuating-levers, cams, yokes, &c. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of my improved stamp-can- 8o. celing and postmarking machine with the letter tray in section for the purposes of illustration. Fig. 8 is a front elevation with the letter-exit in section, illustrating more particularly the detail of construction of the let terpacker; and Fig. 9 is adetached detail, illustratinga modification in the construction of the letter-packer.

-A- is the standard or frame of the machine, and may be of any suitable construction.

a is the printing roller mounted on a shaft S- journaled in suitable bearings formed in the frame -A of the machine.

-b is the pressure roller mounted on the 5 shaft S-in the oscillating yoke cZ- turning on the bolt B-, the yoke d having an angular offset cZ extending under the marking roller a and provided with a seat for the sliding rod -f which has at one'end [00 a friction roller 1- and bears at the other end against the spiral t' Fig. 2, and aplunger rod h which forms a lockingbolt by entering a seat -h'-in the sliding rod -f. and serving to lock the sliding rod fto the angle piece or angular offset d'- of the yoke d. The yoke, d, and consequently the pressure roller, 1), is yieldingly pressed toward the marking roller, a, by a spring I).

As best shown in Figs. ,2, 5 and 6, the roller, 0', on the rod, f, bears against a cam, D, keyed to the journal, S, of the printing or marking roller, a, the raised part of said cam, D, being so located as to begin to operate on the rod,

f, as soon as the forward end of the die, M, on.

the marking roller, a, arrives atthe printing point and of such an extent as to bear against the said rod so long as any part of said die is opposite the pressure roller. It will,hence, be seen that when the rod,f, is locked in position in the angle-piece, d, by the bolt, 72, (to be hereinafter'describeth) as indicated in Figs. 2 and 5, the pressure roller, b, will be intermittentlyseparated from the printingor marking roller, (1, once at each revolution of the latter, for the purpose of preventing the smearing of the feed belts or aprons when no letter is passing. \Nhen, however, a letter passes, the means for separating the two rollers must be rendered inoperative, so that the marking roller will act to mark the said letter. This I accomplish by the following means: For the purposesof mypresent invention I have formed the socket in the angular projection d of the yoke d by boring into the angular piece and making the sliding rod fcylindrical and inserting the same in the recess in the angular piece as best shown in Figs. 2 and 6.

It will be observed that the locking bolt or rod --his also cylindrical, and that the same fits in the socket h' in the sliding rod f, and a flat spring .I serves to hold the parts normally in engagement with each other. The advantage of my present construction over other devices of this character resides in the fact that the construction is greatly simplified, and at the same time the action of the parts is made very positive for the reason that the locking bolt or rod h is accurately guided to enter the recess or socket h in the sliding rod f without theliability to displacement which existed in previousconstructions. Furthermore,thefiat spring j exerts a constant pressure on the rod or locking bolt -h, and is less liable to displacement than the spiral used for the like purpose in my previous invention.

The roller c is mounted in an oscillating yoke e as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the

object being to allow a lateral yield of the feed belt for the free passage of a very thick letter, and this result is obtained by mounting the roller c in the yoke e so that the said roller yoke e may turn on the pivot B'.

It will also be understood that the marking and pressure rollers are arranged in yielding contact with each other, the marking roller being journaled in stationary bearings and.

purpose of preventing the smearing of ink.

from the type die on the marking roller against the pressure roller when no letters are passing.

The tension of the pressure roller on the ing marking roller shall automatically actuate the intermediate connecting mechanism when a letter is fed over the letter support In other words instead of reing feed bed. quiring the letter to disengage the locking bolt -h'- from the sliding rod -f-., it is my present purpose to so construct and arrange the connecting mechanism that the apparatus automatically accomplishes this result. The

advantage which accrues from such opera-.

tion results in the fact that no matter. how thick or how thin the letter or analogous article operated upon by the machine may be, the operation is in every instance the same, and the article itself is in no wise afiected by collision with the trigger, which, if its action shouldv be stiff fromexcessive friction, would be liable to crumple or bend the edge of the letter, resulting in atendency of the letter to tilt upward, whereby the imprint of the type on the marking roller would be oblique instead of in horizontal alignment. This desirable result I obtain by connecting the locking rod -h to the draw-bar -k- Fig. 2, said draw-bar -kbeing connected to one arm of the trigger 4, the other arm of the trigger 4 having a lever connection 5 which lies in the path of the lever t pivoted at t'. beveled end s' normally opposed in the letter passage, and having the spring dog n pivoted at n to the lever t,'

Fig. 3, which engages the spring point '/n on the lever 5, Fig. 3, so that when a letter is fed over the letter supporting feed bed its contact with the end s of the levertas it passes the same moves the lever t until the pivoted spring dog n collides with the spring point, m, on lever, 5, and carries the pin, 2'- on said lever, 5, into the path of the lever, 2, Fig. 2, which, atthe proper time, bears on the said pin 2'- on the lever 5 thereby withdrawing the locking bolt or rod h from its engagement with the sliding rod -f, and the pressure roller bremains in contact with the marking The lever -thaving the roller, and consequently the letter fed over 2 has a notch o-- formed'in the end thereof, and when the lever 5 is pushed forward by the movement of the lever t in the letter path, the pin o'- on the lever 5 is brought into the path of the lever 2, and the notch -U engages the pin when the cam -D- on the shaft S' of the printing roller collides with the lever 2. This collision takes place at the proper time as the die is approaching the printing point on the pressure roller, and consequently as a letter passes the point s of the lever t the pressure roller b is automatically operated by the marking roller -a to remain in contact therewith and impress the type thereon on the letter.

It will be observed that in describing my invention thus far I have assumed that the letter is approaching the marking and pressure rollers on the letter supporting feed bed at the proper time to receive the impression from the type die so as to register the type die on the letter in proper place to cancel the stamps thereon and postmark the letter at the same time. If, however, the marking roller which is constantly rotating is not in the proper position to secure the registry of the type die as stated, it is necessary to provide some means for securing the registry of the type die on the letter, and consequently I provide the auxiliary lever 15 which is operated by a separate cam D fixed to the marking-roller shaft, S as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This lever 15 has a pin 16 normally in contact with thelevert by reason of the spiral spring z" which pulls on the lever 15 so as to crowd the pin 16 on the opposite end of said lever against the lever t, and the said lever 15 looks the lever 15 against the action of a letter. until the cam D collides with the opposite extremity of the said lever.

It will be observed that the cams -D' D are so arranged in relation to the type die M on the marking roller as to be slightly in advance of the said type die, and that consequently the action of the cam on the lever 15 takes place immediately before the forward end of the type die M reaches the point where its distance from the printing point coincides in length with the travel of the letter from the end s' of the lever t to the said printing point so that if a letter reaches the end s of the lever t before the cam -D operates on the lever 15 the letter is held momentarily until the cam releases the lever 15 from its engagement with the lever t-, and the letter immediately moves along passing, the point s'- of the lever -75 and brushing the lever 25 into contact with the point -m which carries the pin -'u of the lever 5 into the path of the notch -'u of the lever 2, when the second cam -D' on the marking roller shaft collides with the lever 2 and disengages the locking bolt or rod -h from the sliding rod -f and produces the desired result,

It will be observed that the object of using the spring point m on the lever 5, and dog n on the lever -tis to allow these parts to pass each other after the lever -25* has carried the lever 5 into the path of the lever 2 to-eftect the engagement of the notch o with the pin oon the lever 5, and this disengagement is accomplished by the elastic quality of the spring points which snap past each other, and the return of the lever -tis readily permitted 'by the pivot -n'- which allows n-- to turn while the spring 13, Fig. 3, restores it to its normal position after the spiral i Fig. 2 has retracted the lever -tto its normal position. A pin 17, Fig. 2, stops the lever 25 and defines the normal position thereof. For the same reason thepin 16 on the lever 15 bears against the pivoted lever -0 secured to the lever t-- as shown in Fig. 4, a screw userving as a pivot, and a spring --o' serving to retract lever -0- to its normal position after the lever 15 has released the pin 16 from its engagement with the lever o on the lever t.

The lever 2 is retracted to its normal position by means of a spiral L.-, and a stop pin is utilized to stop it at the right point the same as in the case of the lever t-.

It will be observed that my present invention as just described dispenses with one of the levers in the path of the letter as described and shown in my previous application of May 31, 1887, for a like invention since the lever 25 with its point slying in the letter path serves the office of both the trigger and timing lever employed in my previous application. However, I do not restrict my present invention to the employment of a lever like t for this purpose since I have illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5 a modification in the construction and arrangement of these parts in which I have employed a timing 1ever in addition to the lever t, said timing lever being denoted by 1 and having the end -s-- lying-in the letter path. In this construction however,I dispenseiwith the lever- 15 since it is unnecessary to lock the lever t as the end s of the timing lever 1 serves to stop the letter in case the type die on the marking roller is not in the rightplace to register on theletter when the letter reaches the lever t.

The operation of the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5 will be readily understood upon reference to the drawings.

In my previous application of May 31, 1887, no means were provided to count and register the number of letters and analogous articles operated upon by the machine, and it is desirable for the purposes of the postal service to count and register the count of the letters which are marked for the out-going mails or the incoming mails, and l secure this desirable result by connecting to the trigger 4 the lever 6 guided in the rectangular swiveled guide-block 9, the said lever carrying the pawl 7 which engages the ratchet wheel 10 through themedium of which is operated the pinion 11 and indicating register-C, whose gears 12 mesh with the pinion 11 as best shown in Fig. 1. A spring 8 serves to tension the pawl 7.

It will be observed that the trigger 4. is operated by the lever 5 through the medium of the marking roller when a letter or analogous article is being fed to the type die, and I utilize this movement of the trigger 4 by means of thelever 6 and the spring pawl and ratchet connections to actuate the counting register C- which thereby secures an accurate registry of the passing-object, and by attaching indicator hands and suitable dials to the counter register C, every letter or analogous article fed over the letter supporting bed to the marking roller is accurately counted and indicated on the register. In this example of my invention I have illustrated a pinion 11 containing ten teeth which mesh with a hundred toothed gear-12, but I do not restrict myself to any form or arrangement of gears and pinions for this purpose, since the essential feature consists in utilizing the movement of the trigger4 through the medium of the marking roller for the purpose of rotating the pinion 11 on the ratchet 10 to count the letters or analogous objects passing over the letter supporting feed bed.

When my improved stamp canceling and post-marking machine is actuated its operation is so rapid that it is necessary to provide means for stacking the letters which are marked by the machine, and in order to provide an eflicient device for this purpose, I pro- ,vide a letter trayT at the exit of the machine which is at the outside of the marking and pressure rollers ab-.

I provide the spout --E- Fig. 1, composed of the breast E'E-Fig. 8, and-on a shaft G I mount the packer wheel P. provided with rigid arms ppp, the said arms p passing through slots p' in the tray T-. A sliding block N- in the tray T serves to form a support for the letters, and the arms p of the packer wheel P- forces theletters against the sliding block N as the letters drop into the spout E-.

It will be observed that the tray .T-is supported against the bracket -A of the frame A Fig. 8, and that the letters feed. out from between the rollers a.b into the spout and drop between the arms p-p of the packer wheel P, and as the said packer wheel rotates the letters are pushed against the block N forcing the block N along in the tray. The packer wheel P- as stated is mounted on the shaft G' in the hanger G- Fig. 6, and motion is communicated thereto by means of the spur gears -gg Fig. 7, While motion is communicated to the marking roller aand the belt A by means of the miter gears -g g mounted respectively on the marking roller shaft and the shaft G-.

I do not restrict my invention to any particular form of the spoke p of the packer wheel I since straight spokes pas shown in Fig. 9 with a disk shaped end p will answer the purpose, the essential requisite consisting in having the spokes sufli ciently thin edgewise to pass through slots p' in the end and bottom of the tray T-, and to arrange such spokes in series across the tray to bear on letters of dilferent widths as the packer wheel rotates in connection with the sliding block N.

The pressure roller, 1), around which passes the feed belt, B is caused to revolve by frictional contact with the marking roller, a, or rather the feed belt, A passing around the latter. The roller, 0, around which the feed belt, A also passes, is pressed against the belt, B by a spring, (2. The tension of the spring, 6, is, however, slight and only sufiicient to hold the roller, 0, and belt, A against the belt, B but not suificient to give rise to that amount of friction which would cause the belt, A to move the belt, B when the pressure roller, 1), is separated from the marking roller, a. The belt, B will, hence, remain stationary and the belt, A", will slip by the same during such period of separation of the two rollers, a and b. This action of the belts, A and B is, however, not; claimed in the present application, having already been H described and claimed in my application filed May 31, 1887, Serial No. 239,830.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood upon reference to the drawings and a consideration of the foregoing.

It will be observed that the letters are .l'ed over the letter supporting feed bed consecutively between the belts A and B and that intheir passage over the'letter supporting feed bed they encounter the lever t and crowd the same over carrying with it the lever 5 as previously described, and the rotation of the marking roller causes the cam D- to actuate the lever 2 which in turn communicates motion to the trigger 4 which withdraws the locking rod from its engagement with the sliding rod f against the pressure of the spring j, and at the same time actuates the counting register. Hence the pressure roller is brought into action on theletter, impressing it against the type die on the marking roller, and simultaneously the counting register indicates the count thereon, while immediately when the letter issues from between the marking and pressure rollers the packing wheel P packs the letters compactly in the letter tray Tthus com pleting the operation of marking, counting and packing letters automatically.

All of the parts of my improved invention are simple, compact and durable, and all of the parts are operated directly from the mark ing roller.

I do not claim broadly in this application the combination of a stamp or marker with an impression bed or support for the article to be marked and a contact piece for causing the marker to register on the letter by the presence of the letter itself as this combination of elements forms part of my application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 143,259, filed September 17, 1884. Neither do I claim broadly in this application, the combination with astamp or marker and an impression roller or support for the letter while being marked; of a counting mechanism for automatically registering the letters and postal matter operated upon by the mechanism since such combination forms part of the subject matter of my renewed prior application, Serial No.'359,361, filed July 21, 1890, original application having been filed March 23, 1886, under Serial No; 196,208.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The herein described automatic marking apparatus, the same comprising rotating marking and impression rollers intermittently in contact with each other, normally locked mechanism for separating the rollers when no letter is passing between them, and mechanism automatically actuated by one of said rollers to release the normally locked separating mechanism when a letter is presented to be operated upon by said marking apparatus, and means for controlling the mechanism for releasing the separating mechanism, substantially as described.

2. The combination of revoluble marking and pressure rollers intermittently in contact with each other, mechanism for separating the rollers when norletter is interposed between the same, mechanism automatically operated by one roller for preventing the separation of the rollers, and a contact piece for controlling the operation of the latter mechanism, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a marking and an impression roller, with suitably connected intermittently-actuated separating mechanism for forcing the rollers apart when no letter is passing between said rollers, suitably connected mechanism actuated by one of said rollers to disengage said separating mechanism, and a contact piece in the letter path suitably connected to control the automatically-actuated mechanism, substantially as described.

4. In a letter marking machine, the combination of a positively driven marking roller with an impression roller mounted in an oscillating yoke, intermittentlyacting separating mechanism for forcing the impression roller away from the marking roller when no letter is interposed between said rollers, a suitable cam on the marking :roller or its shaft for actuating the roller-separating mechanism, mechanism automatically actuated by the marking roller for disengaging the rollerseparating mechanism when a letter is pre sented in position to be operated upon by the marking and impression rollers, and mechanism for controlling the mechanism for disengaging the roller-separating mechanism substantially as described.

5. The combination of revoluble marking and pressure rollers intermittently in contact with each other, with mechanism for separating the rollers, and mechanism automatically actuated by the marking roller for disengaging said separating mechanism, a contact piece in the letter path suitably connected for controlling the operation of the automatically-actuated mechanism, a letter feed for presenting the letters to the contact piece, and a letter packing mechanism for packing the letters in the letter tray, substantially as set forth. v

6. In a post-marking and stamp-cancelin g machine, a marking roller,a pressure roller,-

and an intermittent separating device for the marking and pressure rollers, in combination with an unlocking device actuated from the shaft of the marking roller for rendering the separating device inoperative, and means for starting the unlocking device, substantially as set forth.

7. In a post marking and stamp canceling machine, a'marking roller, a pressure roller, and an intermittent separating device for the marking and pressure rollers in combination with an unlocking device actuated from the shaft of the marking roller for rendering the separating device inoperative, and a lever extending into the letter path, and connections between the same and the unlocking device for starting the unlocking device, whereby each letter, as it passes the lever, first starts the unlocking device and the latteris then actuated from the shaft of the marking roller, and consequently the marking roller and pressure roller are held together while the marking die marks theletter, all substantially as set forth.

8. In a post marking and stamp canceling machine, a marking roller, a pressure roller, and an intermittent separating device for the marking and pressure rollers, in combination with an unlocking device for rendering the separating device inoperative, and a stop device operated from the shaft of the marking roller, whereby the unlocking device is not operated until the die on the marking roller reaches the proper position with respect to the printing point,'all substantially as set forth.

9. In a post marking and stamp canceling machine, a marking roller, a pressure roller, and an intermittent separating device for the markingand pressure rollers, in combination with an unlocking device actuated from the shaft of the marking roller for rendering the separating device inoperative, means for starting the unlocking device, and a stop device operated from the shaft of the marking roller, whereby the unlocking device is not operated until the die on the marking roller reaches the proper position with respect to the printing point, all substantially as set forth.

10. In a post marking and stamp canceling machine, a marking roller, a pressure roller, and an intermittent separating device for the marking and pressure rollers, in combination with an unlocking device actuated from the shaft of the marking roller for rendering the separating device inoperative, a lever extending into the letter path, and connections between the same and the unlocking device for starting the unlocking device, and'a stop device operated from the shaft of the marking roller, whereby' each letter, as it passes the lever, first starts the unlocking device and the latter is then actuated from the shaft of the marking roller, the starting device, however, not being operated until the die on the marking roller reaches the proper position with respect to the printing point, all substantially as set forth.

11. In a post-marking and stamp canceling machine, the combination with a revolving marking roll*provided with two cams,-and a pressure roll held in a movable yoke, and revolving in contact with the marking roll, of a sliding arm contacting with one of the cams, and normally engaged by a movable locking pin on the movable yoke, an oscillating lever in engagement with the other cam, a swinging connection with the locking pin for withdrawing the same, and a lever for moving this connection into the path of the oscillating lever, lying normally in the path of the letter, whereby the pressure roll is held away from the marking roll during the passage of the marking die, and the locking pin is tripped to allow the rolls to work together at the passage of a letter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. a

12. In a machine for marking and canceling postal matter, the combination with a rotating marking roll, and two cams fixed upon and rotating with it, of a pressure roll held in a movable yoke, a sliding arm engaged by one cam to give the pressure roll an oscillating motion at proper intervals, a movable looking pin for connecting the sliding arm with the bearings of the pressure roll, and mechanism substantially as described interposed between this pin and the second cam, whereby one cam is caused to oscillate the pressure roll and the other to trip the locking pin and stop the oscillations, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In a post-marking and stamp canceling machine, the combination with the marking roll a, the pressure roll b, held in movable bearings, and the cam D on the marking roll, of the oscillating lever 2, the sliding rod f, and its actuating cam D its locking pin h, the link It, elbow lever 4, swinging arm 5, provided with the pin 12 to engage the'oscillating lever 2, and the lever if, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

14. In a post-marking and stamp canceling machine, the combination with a revolving marking roll, and a pressure roll provided with movable bearings, and mechanism sub stantially as described for normally, giving the pressure roll an oscillating movement at proper intervals, of a lever for tripping this mechanism, lying in the path of the letter as it is fed in, a cam on the marking roll, and an oscillating lever operated by said cam to lock and unlock the tripping lever, whereby the proper registry of the letter and marking die, is insured, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

15. In a post-marking and stamp canceling machine, the combination with the rotary marking roll, the oscillating pressure roll, and the intermediate mechanism substantially as described for causing the oscillations, of the the letter path the cam D, and the lever 15, provided with the pin 16, for engaging and locking the tripping lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

tripping lever thaving its end extended into 16. In a-post-marking and stamp canceling machine, the combination with a revolving marking roll,'and a pressure roll oscillated by connection with the marking roll, of a tripping mechanism for stopping the oscillations, also operated positively from the marking roll, and a counting and registering device connected to the tripping mechanism whereby it receives motion by the passage of each letter, and registers the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

17. In a post-marking and stamp canceling machine, the combination with, a marking roll, a pressure roll, and mechanism substantially as described for holding the rolls to gether during the passage of a letter, of a counting and registering device provided with the ratchet wheel 10, spring pawl 7, the hear ing block 9, and the actuating link 6, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

18. Ina post-marking and stamp'canceli'ng machine, the combination with a marking roll, a pressure roll, and mechanism substantially as described for holding these rolls together during the marking of a letter, of'the swinging arm 5 provided with the spring point m, and the tripping lever t provided with the spring actuated dog 71, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 1

19. The combination, in a letter marking machine, of a marking roll and a pressure roll, one of said rolls being journaled in yielding bearings, a contact piece arranged in the letter path, and connected to control the action of the marking and pressure rollers, and a letter counting mechanism arranged to be brought into action by the encounter of a letter with the contact piece, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 4,

20. The combination in a letter marking machine, of a marking roller and a pressure roller, the said rollers rotating continuously I signed my name, in the presence of two at- 10 testing witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 3d day of March, 1888.

GEORGE W.'HEY. Witnesses:

W. O. MOARTHUR, F. H. GIBBS. 

